Archive for December, 2012

Out of the Gym and into the Snow

While a lot of people view the winter season as a chance to stay inside and hibernate until spring, there are a lot of valuable ways to keep your body healthy while enjoying the beautiful snowy weather.

Two fun activities that actually have a bevy of health benefits, snowshoeing and sledding, are fun, inexpensive ways to make sure your body stays in tip-top shape for the coming spring.

According to Carol Wilson, R.N., M.S.N., snowshoeing is a low-impact activity that can be beneficial to people with bad knees. It also burns calories better than running, about 400-900 per hour, and is recommended by the American Heart Association as an excellent aerobic activity for the cardiovascular system.

“It works quads, hamstrings, calf muscles and muscle groups in feet and ankles,” Wilson explains. “With poles, it works muscle groups in the back, shoulders and arms.”

Judy Shanks, CVCSN, echoes Wilson’s statements and adds that there are other ways snowshoeing can be a benefit, such as alleviating stress and contributing to overall health and well-being.

While jumping onto a plastic disc and sliding down a hill might not seem like the best type of exercise, sledding can actually burn about 470 calories for a 150-pound person in an hour. With the long trek back up the hill after the ride, you’re toning your leg muscles and keeping your heart rate up.

“The steeper the hill, the more beneficial the workout,” Shanks said.

One aspect of sledding that might go overlooked in terms of exercise is the fun factor. Just think about how much you laugh when sledding. That giggle while on the hill actually has some health benefits.

“Fun that is free,” Shanks said. “It makes you laugh, and laughter doubles heart rate for one minute afterwards. Muscles re-lax for 45 minutes after you laugh, and the immune system is boosted by decreasing stress hormones, increasing immune cells that fight infection and releasing endorphins.”

To fully enjoy all the benefits of snowshoeing and sledding, there are some preseason preparation exercises that should be implemented prior to hitting the hill or strapping on the snowshoes.

“At least two weeks prior, begin gradually increasing endurance exercising until you reach a 45-minute session three times per week,” Wilson said. “Include incline work on a treadmill.”

If you’re a parent and will be pulling your child around on a sled, Wilson recommends that you check with your doctor, espe-cially if you’re over 50, and see if you’re able to engage in some light weight lifting. This will prepare you for performing a mo-tion you’re not accustomed to.

“Lift weights so that you can easily lift a child weighing 40 pounds if you plan to take them sledding,” Wilson said. “Ride an exercise bike with moveable handlebars, pedal hard, and turn the handlebars since you will be steering the sled.”

Wilson also suggests that you perform stretches prior to your winter activity. Calf stretches, calf raises, leg raises and angled walking should get the body warmed up to prevent any injury. A good warm-up will raise the body’s temperature about 1-2 de-grees Celsius. Some endurance running on a treadmill can prepare the body for extensive outdoor winter exercise. She also rec-ommends some items to bring with on your journey.

“Keep hydrated, and keep water with you,” said Wilson. “Take sunscreen and lip balm, energy bars, a cell phone, flashlight and a portable GPS, if available.”

Prior to sledding, Shanks explains, sledders should perform some warm-up exercises to aptly prepare for the activity, includ-ing some easy squats and chest-knee stretches.

“Before sledding, do knee-to-chest stretches to avoid compression injuries due to repetitive bouncing over snow,” she said. “Either sitting or lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest and hold for 30 seconds. At the bottom of the sledding hill, do some more knee-to-chest stretches or squatting movements to restore flexibility.”

With some preparation before the season and before your snowshoeing or sledding experience, your winter wonderland can stay just that. Preparing the body in the fall for your winter activity, ensuring sound hydration before, during, and after, as well as warming up before and after exercise can keep the body healthy throughout the season and throughout your life. So next time you strap on your snowshoes or wax up your sled, make sure your body is just as prepared.

-Fitness Fanatic

*To receive Dunham’s coupons and information on new products, events and sales, sign up for Dunham’s Rewards.

Winter Wonder Playland

Playing or walking in a winter wonderland will be a lot more pleasant with a good pair of winter boots to keep feet warm and dry. Before you head out to stroll through the snow, check out some of the new features and technologies in this season’s boots.

There are plenty of options out there for men, women and children who want to stay outside as the weather cools down.

Itasca Snowstomper children’s boots come in multiple colors and have many features to keep little feet warm and dry so kids can enjoy outdoor winter activities all day. They feature a front-zip design and TPR shell to keep the bottom of the boot water-proof. The foam liner provides extra-lightweight insulation, so little ones can keep building snowmen or shoveling all season.

This technology from Itasca is not just available for children! The Itasca Chloe boots for women are easy to pull on with a bungee design, and the fleece lining blocks out the cold.

Thinsulate, a synthetic material used to insulate outdoor clothing, can be found in boots as well. Itasca’s Cascade and Big Buck Hunter 800 designs for men both contain the material. The Big Buck Hunter 800 is also completely waterproof with a bar-rier construction and TPR shell.

Anyone who is looking to enjoy the outdoors this winter needs to be sure they have footwear that will keep feet warm and dry, but hunters need extra features as well.

Rocky Brands’ Jasper Trac style features a durable rubber pac shell for durability. The boots are also water resistant and have a removable 200-gram 3-ply liner. The boots are perfect for hunters as they feature a Realtree AP camouflage print covering the nylon. The bottom of the boot has a PolarTrac outsole which makes it perfect for all terrains.

“Hunting is really about freedom,” said Dayne Hess, vice president of Rocky Outdoor Sales. “Getting into the field, escaping from the daily grind, testing your skills while one on one with nature – it’s that feeling of freedom that inspired this new system of apparel and footwear.”

Keep sledding, hiking, hunting and enjoying the cold weather with warm, dry feet with the variety of winter boots available this season. Is it snowing yet?

-Your Friends at Dunham’s

*To receive Dunham’s coupons and information on new products, events and sales, sign up for Dunham’s Rewards.

The Latest, Greatest, High Tech Apparel is Here At Dunham’s

Stay Warmer, Dryer and Ski or Board Longer.

Serious skiers and boarders know the importance of correctly layering their clothing. The concept is simple. Multiple layers of breathable light-weight clothing can keep you warmer, dryer and skiing or boarding at peak performance longer, even in the coldest temperatures. Start with a base layer set of quality-multipleade crew and leggings capable of wicking moisture away from your body. Add a breathable mid-layer such as a shirt, sweater or vest. Top it all off with a wind-resistant jacket and pants. In addition to keeping you warm and dry in low temperatures, layering your clothing correctly will also keep you more comfortable by making it easy to removing outer layers when temperatures rise.

The great news is that Dunham’s has teamed up with two of the biggest names in ski and snowboard apparel to make Dun-ham’s Sports your one-stop shop for all the latest, greatest most-high-tech apparel you need to stay warmer, dryer and ski or board longer.

This Ain’t Your Daddy’s Long Underwear!

Under Amour, already the recognized leader in base layer technology ups the ante this year with new ColdGear® UA Base-layer 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 crews and leggings. UA Cold Gear is designed to wick moisture away from your skin, circulate body heat and keeping you warm and dry without weighing you down.

“We already had what we thought was the best product out there – the best combination of warmth, weight and dryness – but we started two years ago to make it better,” says Kevin Eskridge of Under Armour.”Our new Cold Gear Baselayer lines were developed in partnership with the most cutting-edge fabric mills in the world, then tested at our Under Armour Innovation Lab tested and validated by world class athletes.”

Eskridge adds that choosing the UA ColdGear Baselayer cold weather protection you need is a matter of personal preference, depending on how active you are and how affected you are by the cold. Every UA Baselayer crew and legging features light-weight 4-way stretch fabric, UA’s signature Moisture Transport System and Anti-Odor technology. Baselayer 2.0 offers excellent mid-weight protection in cold weather. Baselayer 3.0 delivers maximum warmth in extreme cold conditions. Baselayer 4.0 deliv-ers warmth, dryness and comfort in the brutal cold.

Conquer the Coldest Weather

Dunham’s offers a complete line of high-tech Under Armour apparel to help you layer correctly and conquer even the coldest weather. A smooth, slick Under Armour Rhyme Stone ¼-Zip with UA’s signature Moisture Transport System and Anti-Odor technology can be worn as a comfortable mid-layer or stylish outer layer, depending on the weather. Lightweight ¼-zip construc-tion allows on-demand ventilation.

If the soft feel of fleece is more your style, slip into an UA Power Stretch mid-level fleece. Armour® Fleece technology com-bines a soft brushed inner layer and a quick-drying, lightweight outer layer. As the name implies, the bonded fabric layers move with you to help keep you limber, more mobile and ready for almost anything any hill, trail or half-pipe can throw at you.

If icy winds send shivers down your spine, then slip into great looking UA jackets and pants with Armour Storm technology. The soft, comfortable ArmourLoft inner keeps you warm and comfortable without adding excess weight or bulk, while the 100-percent waterproof breathable yet wind-resistant fabric finish takes the sting out of even the coldest winter blasts. UA ColdGear® men’s knit hats and women’s Blustry beanies also deliver warmth and comfort so you can stay focused, even in extreme tempera-tures. ColdGear thermal lining features an exclusive hex pattern that traps body heat for maximum warmth and minimal weight.

Technology You Can See and Feel

In the past few years, Columbia has turned its attention to developing superior technologies and functional designs that allow you to choose pieces that best fit your environmental and activity needs. This year’s line features Omni-Heat Reflective, Colum-bia’s proprietary technology that helps regulate temperature by using metallic dots, which reflect and retain body heat, while the area between the dots dissipates moisture and excess heat to keep you more comfortable.

“The silver dots do an amazing job reflecting body heat – almost like a breathable space-blanket,” says Andy Nordhoff of Co-lumbia Sportswear. “Our designers have been able to incorporate Omni-Heat Reflective in new form-fitting silhouettes for this season since they no longer need to rely on thick, traditional insulation. The result is a lightweight solution that allows for great range of motion for all outdoor activities.”

Columbia’s wrapped those styles in waterproof, breathable membranes designed to be lightweight and durable. And in addi-tion to staying warm and dry all winter long, the color palette for the season ensures that you will also look as good as you feel.

But Omni-Heat Reflective goes well beyond jackets. In designing the baselayers for example, Columbia worked with a phys-iology expert to determine heat zones in the body and have mapped the Omni-Heat Reflective to those zones. For high sweat zones that naturally expel heat, designers incorporated wicking fabric to deliver optimal temperature regulation. And the full line of baselayer is antimicrobial, reducing the stink factor after a long day working moving snow on the slopes with your skis… or in the driveway with your shovel.

From Dunham’s to You

So, what are you waiting for? If you are serious about getting the most out of every time you hit the slopes, trails or half-pipe, Dunham’s Sports has all the latest, greatest most high-tech apparel you need to stay warmer, dryer and ski or board longer.

-Ski Bum

*To receive Dunham’s coupons and information on new products, events and sales, sign up for Dunham’s Rewards.